User ReviewsUser reviews for Dark Soulshttp://www.gameinformer.com/games/dark_souls/b/user_reviews/atom.aspxCommunity Server2012-09-18T18:14:00ZBringing Difficulty Back From The Dead/games/dark_souls/b/user_reviews/archive/2014/08/18/bringing-difficulty-back-from-the-dead.aspx2014-08-18T05:50:00Z2014-08-18T05:50:00Z<div class="paginated-post" rel="1"><div class="paginated-post-page" rel="1"><p><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Blogs-Components-WeblogFiles/00-00-01-15-06/8357.468px_2D00_Dark_2D00_souls_2D00_logo_2D00_tops_2D00_main.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Decaying, hopeless, and alone is how
you find yourself at the very start of Dark Souls. The introduction
to this brutal game acts as a foreshadowing for the emotions that
players will feel from the very start as From Software delivers one
of the hardest retail games to date. From the outside the game looks
like your average third person role playing game, but that is quite
far from the truth.</p>
<p> Players start off like most other RPGs
with the creation of a character; their looks, their class, and as an
added bonus an additional item of their choosing labeled as a gift,
giving the player the idea that they have the leg up in the world
they are entering. After the player escapes from the cell they start
in however, they learn just how wrong they are. Taking the role of a
cursed undead, bound to life forever until you just become a shell of
a person called a Hollow, you escape from the place where all undead
are supposed to be locked up til the end of time. From there you
learn of a prophecy of a chosen undead who is destined to ring the
two bells of awakening and take off on your journey through Lordran.</p>
<p> Dark Souls is a game that can only be
described as unforgiving. The controls seem smooth and seamless for
the game. Running and using your weapons cost stamina, heavier
weapons swing harder but slower than smaller ones, weight capacity
limits what you can wear or carry, and even the magic in the game has
to be used with specific items. With different weapon and weight
classes the character possibilities are endless. The game goes beyond
just running around and killing things. Even the simplest of fights
take strategy or else you will find yourself staring at the cruel red
&quot;YOU DIED&quot; message over and over. Your offense and defense need
timing, battles should be planned out from afar, but then again Dark
Souls does not always allow for this luxury. Enemies can pop up from
above you, behind you, and even below you in order to always keep you
on your guard. The floor you are running on can give out in an area
that can drop you down into an unexpected boss fight.</p>
<p> Dark Souls offers check points and a
level up station in the form of bonfires all over the land. These
bonfires, with a few upgrades, also act as your basic upgrade
station, repair shop, and portal towards using the online features of
the game. The bonfires fully heals you, restores all your healing
items, and is a safe place from enemies while you sit there. There is
a catch of course; every time you sit at a bonfire all the enemies
you&#39;ve killed before reaching the bonfire get to respawn with a full
health bar as well. Only some enemies and bosses will not respawn
making the check point system seem almost as harmful as it is
helpful. However, the bonfires will always be a valuable ally when
trying to traverse through the different areas.</p>
<p> Repairing your items seems to be a
formality as most equipment has extremely high durability and is
extremely cheap to repair. Only some weapons later on in the game
have abilities that require durability to activate will really take
advantage of the repair system. The upgrade system is incredibly
valuable once you find your perfect play style in making your weapon
and armor of choice even better than before. There are a variety of
ways that you can upgrade your weapons such as normal upgrades,
upgrades that give your weapon elemental properties, or upgrades such
as the crystal path that make your weapon much more powerful but
takes away its ability to be repaired, meaning its broken and gone
once its durability hits zero. However, most of the upgrade paths for
weapons are obsolete and are best left to the normal path because of
certain updates for the game. There are stat point scaling for many
weapons in the game, meaning the higher a certain stat the more
damage the weapon will do. Unfortunately, most other upgrade paths
besides the normal one lower the amount of scaling for a stat in turn
for more damage points overall. The difference between the damage
output and the scaling level is not high enough to make players want
to change their weapons into anything else if they want to keep the
most powerful version of the weapon.
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>In order to level up in the game you
must kill enemies or use specific items in order to receive souls.
The souls in turn are exchanged for a stat point and each new stat
point raises your level. Nevertheless, to make things more difficult
every cost in the game is paid via souls. Experience points and money
were merged into a single system, thus making you choose between
buying something or leveling up. Dark Souls won&#39;t let you off that
easy though. Whenever you die in the game you leave a glowing orb
behind that contains all your unused souls and another resource. If
you die before you can reclaim your stuff you drop another orb and
the first one containing all your souls is now dust in the wind,
making dying far from a bonfire one of the most terrifying events in
the game.</p>
<p> The aesthetics of Dark Souls is
equally beautiful and somber. The locales in the game can be
stunning, dreary, or a combination of the two. Examples of such
places would be the grand city, where every building looks like a
cathedral, but the it is deserted, or the dark and damp poisonous
swamp. Each area has its own story to tell and is incredibly fun to
explore. The levels are designed in a way that makes you want to
explore each and every area so that you aren&#39;t missing any valuables
and you will never feel lost on a pathway. Besides some locked doors,
Dark Souls gives players the freedom of choice when it comes to which
area they want to explore first. It gives the players a freedom that
not many other games give. If you wonder into an area that you are
not prepared for whatsoever and you could have taken a path to a
different area well that is your choice. You can try and power
through some of the areas and in some places you have the choice on
whether or not you want to fight that mini boss or come back to it
later. The music for each area fits fantastically with the
environment and the music for boss battles are excellent and
thrilling. They help push the game into that feeling of epic
proportions and they almost want to make you stop and listen for
awhile.</p>
<p> The game throws one more twist at you
at the very end of your long journey. You fought so hard, died so
many times, and even thought about giving up. When the game finally
ends and you feel victorious at overcoming the challenge, the game
offers you a chance to do it all over again...but harder. Dark Souls
offers a &quot;New Game+&quot; feature that only stacks the more you beat
the game. The enemies hit harder, have more health, and you want to
cry knowing that this game can only keep getting more difficult the
more times you overcome its challenges.</p>
<p> Dark Souls does have a work around for
its difficulty via co-op. It has an interesting approach to
multiplayer in that you can summon other players under specific
circumstances in the game, but at the same time that you can invite
someone in as a friend another can invade your world and attack you.
Adding another player to the game almost takes out the difficulty out
of it if you are working together. Dark Souls does not allow for
friends to be invited to your game so you must rely on the charity of
strangers. You may get lucky enough to pick up your friend, but it
will take some work. Dark Souls also has special covenants you can
join for some PVP battles besides just the regular invasion methods.</p>
<p> Dark Souls is a beautiful yet somber
game that challenges you at every corner. It pushes you on the ground
and kicks your teeth in making you try again and again until all
seems hopeless. However, through all it&#39;s difficulty it provides a
wonderful and strategic experience that makes you remember just how
fun a challenging game can be.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p><div style="clear:both;"></div></p></div></div><script type="text/javascript">PaginateGrid();</script><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=6950370" width="1" height="1">Akarothhttp://www.gameinformer.com/members/Akaroth/default.aspxDark Souls Review: A World of Wonderful Hurt/games/dark_souls/b/user_reviews/archive/2013/12/10/dark-souls-review-a-world-of-wonderful-hurt.aspx2013-12-10T23:07:00Z2013-12-10T23:07:00Z<p>
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</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&#39;Calibri&#39;,&#39;sans-serif&#39;;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:&#39;Times New Roman&#39;;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA;"></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>What? Dark Souls is hard? No. It&#39;s the toughest game of this
or last generation? Bah. Playing the game will make you want to snap your
controller in half? Come on.
</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The
thing is, all those things are true. Dark Souls made me want to throw things
and swear enough to make my mom blush. And I loved it.</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I
didn&#39;t expect to love Dark Souls. I wanted to give the game a try in order to
observe the degree of difficulty that everyone raved and cursed about. I never
expected to play past a couple areas, let alone put ninety-two hours into the
experience. </p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; But
here I am. </p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; For any
Dark Souls beginner, the first thing you must embrace is the learning curve.
Every stage is damn difficult. Every single one. You pick your character from a
stock of class options, and then you are thrown straight into the universe with
only vague hints written on the floors as tutorials. Right off the bat, it&#39;s
left to the gamer to sort through what to do.</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Getting
familiar with the battle system and inventory will take time. The controls aren&#39;t
intuitive, but you become accustomed to them through practice, as finding the
balance between strikes and dodges is a vital labor of love. You will also want
to try as many weapons and outfits as you can in order to find a fit that feels
comfortable. For me, using an ax or a spear was awkward, but once I got my
hands on a solid long sword, then I was moving. It just took a lot of switching
back-and-forth to find that sweet spot. </p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Souls
are the only currency in the game. You obtain souls by defeating enemies, and
then use them to level-up, upgrade equipment, and purchase items. But after
every death, you lose all the souls you&#39;ve collected up to that point. You can&#39;t
cry over lost souls, however, as this will happen often. The easy come, easy go
mentality steers the game away from grinding advantages. Trying to obtain
enough souls to level-up will not get you far. Skill, along with
trial-and-error, will trump over leveling almost anytime. </p>
<p>The total number of deaths you will
endure is the hardest deterrent to get over. Most deaths will be your own
fault, but that adds little consolation as you succumb to another obstacle. For
every new stage or encounter, you can expect to die at least thirty times. A
large amount of memorizing goes into areas. Dark Souls is much like a
platformer in this way, as an insane amount of effort will be exhausted in
order to get an inch further than the time you did before. But I promise, that
inch will be incredibly satisfying. </p>
<p>Frustration doesn&#39;t just come from
dying, either. Dark Souls is a large, open world that is vague and deserted and
tough to navigate. You can travel through areas you&#39;ve scoured every corner of,
only to discover your route is a brutally ambiguous ledge you must drop down
from. The directionless toppled with the difficulty level can feel like being
hit when you&#39;re down. And though I wouldn&#39;t have minded these areas to have
lessened its obscured nature, if only a smidge, I also understand this as part
of the spirit of the game. It&#39;s not just blatant punishment, it&#39;s respect for
all those who dare to enter.</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; There
is a region in the Dark Souls called Sen&#39;s Fortress, and it is one of my
favorite portions of the game. The place is riddled with booby traps as well as
sneaky, corner-loving enemies, and the only way to get through it is by
repetition that will weaken most gamer&#39;s resolves. But when I made my way
through the passageways of the Fortress and up to the top towers, the
gratification I felt was one of the greatest gaming highs I&#39;ve ever had. &nbsp;</p>
<p>
I cannot emphasize enough the number of times
you will die in Dark Souls. You are going to die so much, you are going to
start questioning a lot of things. Why am I doing this? Am I having fun? Do I
just have a gluttony for pain? Who am I, as person? But if you can get through
all those questions, Dark Souls is sure to give you a rewarding experience
unlike any other.
</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=6461367" width="1" height="1">Leah Christensenhttp://www.gameinformer.com/members/Leah-Christensen/default.aspxDark Souls Review- A world of hurt awaits/games/dark_souls/b/user_reviews/archive/2013/09/05/dark-souls-review-a-world-of-hurt-awaits.aspx2013-09-06T00:10:00Z2013-09-06T00:10:00Z<p class="MsoNormal"><img src="http://wallpaper.pickywallpapers.com/1600x900/dark-souls-cover-art.jpg" border="0" style="max-width:610px;" alt="" /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>I&rsquo;m making my way down a corridor, having prepared
my spells, weaponry and gear for this specific area. I have two co-op partners
I summoned for the occasion, one who is a mage, and a heavy hitter with a dragon&rsquo;s
head. I&rsquo;m just about to go into the final boss area when a player who had
invaded my game earlier decides to ambush us with the aid of some of some
nearby enemies. As the host, I am the main target, and despite the efforts of
my comrades, he quickly knocks me down and finishes me off, sending me back to
the bonfire at the beginning of the area. In the world of Dark Souls, you never
really &ldquo;win,&rdquo; you simply do a little better each time.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>The set up for the game is that you are one of many &ldquo;undead&rdquo;,
cursed with immortality and segregated from society until the end of the world.
The story is very minimal, but incredibly engaging if you can find the time to
look for clues and listen to the stories the characters will tell you. Your
motivations, though murky at first, start to become clear, but even towards the
end you aren&rsquo;t sure of what you&rsquo;re ultimate plan is.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>If you&rsquo;ve played Demon&rsquo;s Souls you&rsquo;ll already be
familiar with much of what the game has to offer. If you die, you drop all your
souls (the main method of leveling up and purchasing items) as well as your
humanity (which is useful for kindling bonfires for extra health and returning
to human form) at the spot where you died and end up back at the last bonfire
you sat at.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><img src="http://media.pcgamer.com/files/2012/06/Dark-Souls-preview-thumb.jpg" border="0" style="max-width:610px;" alt="" /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>If you can reach the blood stain where you died, you&rsquo;ll
regain access to your souls and humanity. Because of this, players are forced
into a more cautious playstyle, which the tough enemies and deadly level design
help enforce. This is definitely not the kind of game a casual gamer can blow
through in a weekend.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>The combat is where Dark Souls sets itself apart
from other games, and is where the game is most thrilling. Different weapons do
different levels of damage, have differing ranges, have different uses against
different enemies, have varying speeds, use varying levels of stamina, and all
follow different upgrade paths.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Dozens of spears, swords, clubs, hammers, catalysts
and more are littered throughout the game, along with many different pieces of
armor and various projectiles, spells and single use items that all go well
with the different skills you can level to let the player decide how they will
play the game.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><img src="http://media.pcgamer.com/files/2012/08/Dark-Souls-PC-review-3.jpg" border="0" style="max-width:610px;" alt="" /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Players also have limited amounts of use for healing
items and spells at each bonfire, along with gear that diminishes in quality
over time, which adds to the cautious style of play the game wants players to
maintain. The game rewards smart thinking, using divine weapons against
skeletons weak against them is a smart move, as is switching to a thrusting
weapon to avoid catching your weapon on the walls in tight spaces, or timing
enemy attacks so you can dodge or parry them at the right time for a critical
counter attack.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>The world of Dark Souls sets itself apart from Demon&rsquo;s
Souls in that instead of a single hub area, the world is one massive
interconnected area that can be explored how you see fit. While the game does
have a basic &ldquo;path&rdquo; they would like you to follow, many of the areas can be
tackled at the order you would wish, and with a variety of secret areas,
alternate pathways and hidden rooms you&rsquo;ll want to keep an eye out for what the
world might be hiding. One caveat is that high level areas are extremely easy
to get lost in, particularly since the game never points you in a direction or
gives you a map or indicator of where to go. Later on, you do get the ability
to warp to different bonfires and get some semblance of an end goal from a few
characters.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Of course if you do get lost, at least you&rsquo;ll be
lost in some of the most beautifully realized levels you&rsquo;ve seen, from a forest
full of deadly wildlife, to a swampland full of deadly creatures (and an
unfortunate crippling frame rate), all the way up to a beautiful city of the gods.
The best part is that any location you can see in the game, you can reach. If
you want to, you could drop a soul sign in some demon ruins, go all the way to
some catacombs and see the soul sign from what seems like miles away, or find
an alternate route to an area if you want to avoid certain enemies or obstacles
in the main path.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><img src="http://zombiesatemygames.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/dark-souls-2-dragons.jpg" border="0" style="max-width:610px;" alt="" /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>The online play really sets this game apart from
other similar RPG games, especially with the importance so many covenants place
on either helping or hindering players online. The game does allow certain
features (such as summoning and invading) to exist offline, with certain NPC
character available for both situations, but this is a game best played online.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>The thrill of invading the world of a sinner as a
Spirit of Vengeance and taking out the host and his friends with an ambush, or
the feeling of camaraderie as you take down a boss with a couple of helpers make
Dark Souls unique. &nbsp;One problem I have is that the online infrastructure isn&rsquo;t the best, with lag
killing me just as often as actual skilled players, and with some difficulty
existing in finding other people to play with, but the issues pop up rarely and
aren&rsquo;t enough for me to recommend players go offline.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Dark Souls is a game made for gamers, it will not
hold your hand and can even be unfairly tough, but it is also one of the most
rewarding and engaging experiences out there and I highly recommend it to any
RPG fan or action gamer looking for something that breaks the mold. Days after
taking out the final boss, I still think of Dark Souls, even now I&rsquo;m itching to
get back into New Game Plus to see what else the world might have to offer.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><img src="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/6/62890/2006365-dark_souls_06.jpg" border="0" style="max-width:610px;" alt="" /><br /></span></p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=4262287" width="1" height="1">SPYDER0416http://www.gameinformer.com/members/SPYDER0416/default.aspxDark Souls!/games/dark_souls/b/user_reviews/archive/2013/07/25/dark-souls.aspx2013-07-26T01:07:00Z2013-07-26T01:07:00Z<p>As the spiritual successor to one of the toughest titles of the next generation, Dark Souls tests the might of anyone willing to give it the time and effort needed to best this unbearably difficult game. Developed by the guys at From Software, Dark Souls is not the direct follow up to their previous Playstation 3 exclusive, Demon&rsquo;s Souls (2009), but it still retains its unforgiving nature and brutality it became notorious for. This time along, Xbox 360 gamers are called to the fray as both dexterity and patience become two of the most valuable characteristics this game forces you to adopt. Being a Role-Playing game at heart, the campaign can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 45 hours to complete whilst maintaining the consistent difficulty leaving many gamers wondering if they&rsquo;ll ever get to see the credits roll.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The story of is minimalistic in the sense that it rarely shows its face after the initial cut-scene. You are a hollow, or undead, and in order to free yourself from this world you have to become human using humanity. The story is more of a background; let me research that later, sort of 0thing, however.<br />This isn&rsquo;t your run-of-the-mill hack-n-slash per say. There isn&rsquo;t one sole path to follow (no pun intended). As opposed to the overused linear swordplay game, Dark Souls lets you choose which direction to venture forth on. The game literally drops you into the middle of the world and won&rsquo;t prevent you from going left, right, back or forth. Granted, depending upon the direction you take during&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; the first 10 minutes, you may find out rather quickly that you&rsquo;ve made the wrong decision. In other words, some areas are noticeably more difficult, though not impossible. This makes the games replayability even more interesting now that you know what lay ahead each path. <br />&nbsp;Being a third-person action game, the controls are quite simple. Defend, attack, and roll/dodge are all there with only variations of the few to add a slightly wider array of abilities. An item menu remains letting the player choose what they want to wear and wield based on what they&rsquo;ve acquired throughout their journey. The amount of items hidden across the seamless world is quite astonishing and the weapon combinations can seem overwhelming. This is especially so when you find several different sets of armor and weapons that suit each conflict differently. Unfortunately for those classic hack and slash fans, there isn&rsquo;t that &ldquo;kill-all&rdquo; God weapon hidden in an obscure location. Though the multitude of weapons span a wide spectrum of statistics, it&rsquo;s all about upgrading, forging and tweaking until you hit that niche that fits your play style best.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The term &ldquo;Souls&rdquo; becomes prevalent during gameplay as a form of cash, known as, well, souls. These souls are obtained as you vanquish enemies upon each encounter with increasing amounts depending on their threat. Not only are they used as in-game currency, they are also points that allow you to level up your overall character based on several statistics (known as skills) varying per class (Kind of like Skyrim). The acquisition of these souls is what makes this game extremely difficult and to some, frustrating. Upon dying during a demanding battle or unfortunate fall, all the souls you&rsquo;ve accumulated are reduced to &ldquo;zero.&rdquo; Lucky for you, you get an opportunity to retrieve them. This can be fairly easy or damn near impossible depending on your situation. For instance, those who decided to run through a difficult area resulting in an untimely death may find they lacked better judgment. A major point to be added about this feature is the fact that if you die without retrieving the souls from your previous body, they will be gone&hellip; forever. It won&rsquo;t be unlikely to lose the hundred thousand souls obtained from a boss who took several attempts to slay after forgetting to save immediately following the fight. Unfortunate, but this makes you contemplate the reward in terms of the risk. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Along with souls is the use of humanity. As you regain your human form, you acquire slightly more souls per kill and as you acquire more humanity you can gain weapon and armor power-ups beneficial to some fights. This is also where the multiplayer mode reveals itself. As you run around the world in human form, you can invade other player&rsquo;s worlds, and be invaded yourself. On some occasions other players can be significantly more difficult and sometimes impossible to kill at earlier stages. PvP becomes a more entertaining feature as your character level increases and you grow to take a few more hits. There is also an intriguing message system between players. Before walking upon a trap, you can leave a message for another player to warn them, or take the more devious route and lie about the dangers ahead.&nbsp; Likewise, you can read other players messages throughout the world, which add to a slightly more immersive experience. It&rsquo;s a neat implement but not necessary to completing the story. <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A devilish addition to the game is it&rsquo;s save system. As opposed to the commonly used &ldquo;pause then save&rdquo; formula we&rsquo;ve all conformed to, From Software have tried to separate themselves from the norm and include an uncommon, yet successful, feature. Bonfires are where the player saves, rejuvenate, and reorganize as you come across them in arbitrary spots throughout the game. They are so relieving, however, you may cry when stumbling on one after a tricky battle. They also act as spawn points when you die.&nbsp; Though it is quite obvious we are deceived into believing that this is a successful way of flipping the script, it is also clearly implemented in order to give the game an illusion of being even more difficult. This is especially so after resting at a Bonfire you notice the enemy you killed a minute prior comes at you again as if to seek revenge. In other words, most of the enemies (aside from bosses, and mini-bosses) respawn after you rest at a bonfire. This can be the bane of your existence or a blessing because as the enemies respawn so does your chance of obtaining a few more souls. Just be careful in your decisions, but you&rsquo;ll understand this rather quickly.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; This series has redefined the term &ldquo;tough&rdquo; as it doesn&rsquo;t necessarily share the same formula first introduced by both Contra and Mega Man (i.e. throwing hordes of enemies at the player as they navigate difficult platforming areas), rather it asks the player to constantly plan for the next fight and tweak their tactics as they fail. On the back of the box, three glaring words stare you right in the face; &ldquo;Prepare to Die.&rdquo;&nbsp; And unlike many other games, this isn&rsquo;t just a marketing ploy to make you think this is going to be a terribly difficult game. It is a terribly difficult game, and you are going to die&hellip; A lot. For those of you who&rsquo;ve cost your parents hundreds of dollars in property damage due to the frustration caused by video games; this game is not for you. Trial and error is a major theme here and part of what makes Dark Souls fun, is the former. Thanks to From Software, this game never feels &ldquo;cheap,&rdquo; instead; the surprisingly precise controls remind you that it is your fault for dying. This point makes success all the more gratifying. However, some may feel they&rsquo;ve abused the game through glitches. Unbeknownst to them, a common tactic employs the use of exploitation. All too often you will find yourself taking advantage of the enemy A.I. in order to give your character the slight edge.<br />&nbsp;This is not to say the A.I. is sloppy, quite the contrary, in fact. The enemy will hunt you down, and sometimes even catch you off guard leaving your character with no souls and a broken controller. The enemies are so merciless even some of the more trivial ones that you&rsquo;ve killed so many times can leave you scratching your head. What really make this game stand apart from the rest of the Medieval RPG&rsquo;s out there, such as Skyrim and Dragon&rsquo;s Dogma, is the infamous boss fights. From the launch trailer fans can see what they have to look forward to in terms of the bosses you are going to encounter during your journey. From undead dragons, to a massive Hydra, to a giant wolf holding an even larger sword in its mouth, the bosses are some of the most memorable of any game this past generation. Some can be as easy as a one shot kill to as hard as an hour long exchange leaving you sweating at your fingertips. No matter the fight, they all have their satisfying conclusions. &ldquo;Victory Achieved&rdquo; spread across the screen as you slay each boss adds to the affair as you pump your fist with fulfillment. <br />Dark Souls is a commitment. The initial playthrough will take the average gamer around 45 hours, if they are willing to endure the strict punishment thrown upon you with each passing area. The world is seamless as you traverse the vast beautiful landscape. And although the graphics aren&rsquo;t notably amazing, they still live up to generational standards making the games environments a site for sore eyes. Enemies are relentless and pose a true challenge; one that has been absent in the video game realm since its predecessor in 2009.&nbsp; Even the environments prove a threat. Upon reaching the end game you&rsquo;ll face the toughest boss yet along with the some appropriately calm music keeping your nerves at bay and your controller away from the wall. Dark Souls is a feat many have taken on and those who have succeeded at remaining patient and diligent know the ecstasy felt and the sigh of relief as the credits roll of one of the hardest games of the decade. ~ Tim Bloom<br />9 out of 10</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=3454218" width="1" height="1">TBloom16http://www.gameinformer.com/members/TBloom16/default.aspxDark Souls Challenging and Fun/games/dark_souls/b/user_reviews/archive/2013/06/10/dark-souls-challenging-and-fun.aspx2013-06-10T03:38:00Z2013-06-10T03:38:00Z<p class="MsoNormal">After hearing so many people at uni discussing a difficult
game called Dark Souls. It was a dark and stormy day when my friend sent me a
message over Xbox Live demanding I play this game which disciplines the player
for every mistake. After battling through the rain to my local store and found
that they had no copies, I went on a mission around Brisbane to get this game
my friend demanded I play. After three hours of rain, public transport and a
dog that wanted to feast on my face I finally made it back to my den. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Finally after warming up, I opened the case I put so much
effort into getting and put the disc into my console. Starting a new game I was
presented with the character creation screen. After having some fun making my
character &lsquo;Elvie&rsquo; and many hours on deciding a class, which I then learned isn&rsquo;t
that important later in the game as you can spend your points on whatever attributes
your heart desires. I chose Pyromancer because who the hell doesn&rsquo;t like fire
magic? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Starting the game my character is given a corpse with a key
to exit his cell and I venture forth into what I assume is the tutorial area.
Here I find a few notes scribbled telling me the basic controls but the game
really leaves most of it up to the player to work out. After going through some
large doors I found how the game is, in fact, disciplines the player. A massive
demon thing drops down and a whack it with my broken sword doing so much damage
the bar doesn&rsquo;t even go down on my screen after two hits I die. The next time I
search the room to find a better way to defeat this behemoth of a monster
(which is not that big compared to some other things in the game) and find a
open door which I run through and find a bonfire. These bonfires are your checkpoints
throughout the game allowing you to restore your health and save. The downside
to a bonfire? All monsters apart from bosses respawn. This can make some areas &lsquo;interesting&rsquo;.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><img height="300" width="533" src="http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/screenshots/DarkSouls/a.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And this is what Dark Souls is all about, learning from your
deaths to find better ways to accomplish the area or defeat the enemy (a long
bow always helps). &nbsp;If you are connected
online you can see notes left by other players and summon players into the game
which is always a great help. Unless of course there is a sign next to a ledge
saying jump... don&rsquo;t do that. Also note that being online also allows other
players to invade your game world, this can be extremely frustrating after
dying to a boss multiple times then get cleaned up by another player just
before the boss area.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dark Souls is not over the top hard as I have read in a few
places, it is difficult but the reward is so great after finally killing that
black knight or any enemy. Like many games each enemy has their tell for each
move and once you have worked to best counter to each attack whether it is roll
away or parry you will find that this game is a good experience which stands on
its own little pedestal amongst the games that are out these days.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2961979" width="1" height="1">MattyAcehttp://www.gameinformer.com/members/MattyAce/default.aspxHigh marks for an old game./games/dark_souls/b/user_reviews/archive/2013/06/02/high-marks-for-an-old-game.aspx2013-06-03T01:15:00Z2013-06-03T01:15:00Z<p>So I was really surprised how much I was disappointed in this game.&nbsp; First, it had absolutely nothing to do with the difficulty.&nbsp; In fact, it&#39;s not really hard.&nbsp; It feels exactly like the old nintendo days where it was just trail and error over and over until you got it.&nbsp; Think Mega Man, Castlevania, Contra, etc.</p>
<p>What really turned me off from this game were the following:&nbsp; The story absolutely sucks.&nbsp; Sorry can&#39;t buy any argument here, but if I hear them say Undead one more time *facepalm.*&nbsp; Next up was the environment.&nbsp; I read a ton saying it&#39;s *atmospheric*, sorry, it&#39;s dull and empty.&nbsp; The last problem was something I just said in the beginning, it feels like an old game.&nbsp; </p>
<p>I&#39;m not against nostalgia, I see a lot of players welcomed this type of game.&nbsp; But this game feels like an old game, and plays like an old game.&nbsp; Full of all it&#39;s good challenge (which I love) but full of the old day&#39;s archaic gaming problems.</p>
<p>Again fully surprised that this game turned out a disappointment to me, but also as much shocked that it received as much high praise that it did.&nbsp; I could buy into consistent reviews in the 7 to 8s, but this game ended up being just ....meh, to me.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2925873" width="1" height="1">Ointhttp://www.gameinformer.com/members/Oint/default.aspxDying is Such Sweet Sorrow/games/dark_souls/b/user_reviews/archive/2013/05/16/dying-is-such-sweet-sorrow.aspx2013-05-16T18:20:00Z2013-05-16T18:20:00Z<p>The tagline &quot;Prepare to Die&quot; describes From Software&#39;s Dark Souls aptly. This RPG set out to capture the difficulty of older games and does so in the best way possible. Every new enemy sets players&#39; jaws wary and demands attention as they approach, wondering what kind of death awaits them. The fact that the game is one of the best-looking in memory, with animations as smooth as a polished skull and eye-widening landscapes, makes players stare in two kinds of awe, both fear and wonder. Killing an enemy rewards the player with souls, which can be used to level up and as currency for spells and items. Death penalizes the character by stealing all of their collected souls and humanity (used to leave your undead state and give a few bonuses) and leaving them at the location of death, to be recovered if the player can reach the spot without dying again.</p>
<p>Even when facing enemies felled before, players must keep their guard up as a single hit will probably eat a quarter or more or their health bar. Healing is as simple as drinking from your estus flask, which contains 5 uses at first but can be upgraded and is refilled at every bonfire stop, but takes a few seconds which makes in-battle drinking dangerous. The bottle can be refilled by stopping at any of the in-game save havens, the bonfires, but doing so comes at a price. Bonfires heal the player and banishes almost all negative status effects. They even let players level up and repair their equipment. Unfortunately, every enemy that isn&#39;t a boss or mini-boss revives at one of these stops, meaning that backtracking will undo all the damage a player has done. Add in the fact that going through an area the first time can mean over half an hour without safety--there is no pausing in this game--means that players must be prepared and always on-guard or else they will find themselves having to return to the previous bonfire to refill their flask.</p>
<p>Online play can be a huge part of the game if the player wishes. When connected to the internet, players are able to summon others who have left their mark in the game, for use in defeating bosses and areas. At the same time, players can invade others&#39; worlds, locking away bonfires from being used and ending in a battle between the two characters. Since an invasion can come at any time, players can be killed at the worst of times. Those without an internet connection shouldn&#39;t despair. Those people can summon NPCs to help during boss battles, provided they meet certain in-game criteria.</p>
<p>Bosses are huge, hulking beasts at the end of areas that will likely require a few attempts to take down. With this in mind, players should realize that surviving an area isn&#39;t enough. They have to master it, learn the game mechanics well enough so that they can reach the boss with minimum damage. Dark Souls is an unforgiving game that either hardens modern gamers or chews them up. It is also one of the best games of the generation. Learning how to handle each enemy, boss, and event with next to no tutorials or help is rewarding and each victory comes with a feeling of accomplishment very rarely felt in games. In my first playthrough of the game, angry words and controllers were thrown and every once in a while my fist was pumped in the air. At 101 hours, my playthrough wasn&#39;t the best, but I did it. In fact, given paper and art skills, I could draw a map of the entire game and mark every enemy location down to the weapons they use. Even with the severely limited soundtrack, the most notable of which is the fully voiced characters, Dark Souls is not a game to be missed.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2856633" width="1" height="1">dnavarre1http://www.gameinformer.com/members/dnavarre1/default.aspxSHORT Dark Souls Review/games/dark_souls/b/user_reviews/archive/2013/04/30/hardcore-but-amazing.aspx2013-05-01T00:54:00Z2013-05-01T00:54:00Z<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Blogs-Components-WeblogFiles/00-00-01-15-06/1881.forest.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p><span style="white-space:pre;"></span>When I saw the trailer for Dark Souls II during VGA on spike, I suddenly got very hyped even</p>
<p> though I&#39;d never played Dark Souls, so I got it. The game is amazing, but very hard. Here are the</p>
<p> details.</p>
<p><span style="white-space:pre;"> </span>this is the best fantasy / role playing game to date, but then add extremely difficult enemies</p>
<p> that make the game not for everyone. This game is extremely challenging, forcing you to load, load,</p>
<p> and load again. By the time I defeated the second boss in the game, I already had six different</p>
<p> campaigns. Even though this is a very challenging game, many casual gamers can make it a long</p>
<p> way.&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Blogs-Components-WeblogFiles/00-00-01-15-06/8228.dragon.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p><span style="white-space:pre;"> </span>&nbsp;The enemies in dark souls are mostly the same. You&#39;re basically fighting a lot of undead. In a</p>
<p> forest, you fight plant-like monsters. The bosses, on the other hand, are all very different and each</p>
<p> require different tactics to defeat. I really enjoyed that your shield actually blocked attacks unlike</p>
<p> Skyrim.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Blogs-Components-WeblogFiles/00-00-01-15-06/8306.giant-thing.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="white-space:pre;"><span style="white-space:pre;"> </span>The open world part of Dark Souls is fantastic! There&#39;s a big map but it isn&#39;t just flat land like</span></p>
<p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="white-space:pre;"> most open world games. You can go high places that will give you hours and hours of fun. I love the </span></p>
<p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="white-space:pre;">fact that you don&#39;t get an actual map so the layout isn&#39;t just given away. You actually have to imagine </span></p>
<p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="white-space:pre;">what the map looks like. I also love the way everything connects.</span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="white-space:pre;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gameinformer.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/610x0/__key/CommunityServer-Blogs-Components-WeblogFiles/00-00-01-15-06/5327.dragon.jpg" alt="" /><br /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="white-space:pre;"><span style="white-space:pre;"> </span>In Dark Souls You don&#39;t have an objective or map marker </span><span style="white-space:pre;">telling you &quot;Go there!&quot; You must </span></p>
<p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="white-space:pre;">rely on your memory to find out if you&#39;re going the right direction or if </span><span style="white-space:pre;">you are going back to where</span></p>
<p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="white-space:pre;"> you started.</span></p>
<p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="white-space:pre;"></span><span style="white-space:pre;"><span style="white-space:pre;"> </span>The weapons are suburb. You can use swords, axes, spears, and other items such </span></p>
<p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="white-space:pre;">as shields. The armors are a bit vague. Most enemies you find have hollow warrior armor</span></p>
<p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="white-space:pre;">or soldier armor, but the other armors you find throughout the game</span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="white-space:pre;">Gameplay: 9/10</span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;">Sound: 9/10</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">Weapons: 10/10</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">Enemies: 9/10</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">Overall: 9.5/10</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="white-space:pre;"><br /></span></p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2806036" width="1" height="1">gbeasthttp://www.gameinformer.com/members/gbeast/default.aspxThe hardest game this generation is one of the best games ever./games/dark_souls/b/user_reviews/archive/2013/02/26/the-hardest-game-this-generation-is-one-of-the-best-games-ever.aspx2013-02-26T17:28:00Z2013-02-26T17:28:00Z<p>Dark Souls is hard... really hard. But I love it. The game looks beautiful, the gameplay is fantastic and the game can be quite scary. There was only one issue I had with the game and that was the frame rate would drop during areas with lots of enemies, which was really quite annoying. But is this game for you? If you are wanting something challenging or something that is really addicting yes you should buy it. But if you are one of those people who will get annoyed within the first 5 minutes don&#39;t bother. To those who are willing to try it, don&#39;t give up on it, the game will reward you greatly.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2614400" width="1" height="1">Gnidruhhttp://www.gameinformer.com/members/Gnidruh/default.aspxDark Souls: classic difficulty for a new generation/games/dark_souls/b/user_reviews/archive/2013/02/13/dark-souls-classic-difficulty-for-a-new-generation.aspx2013-02-14T01:36:00Z2013-02-14T01:36:00Z<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; There were so many times playing through Dark Souls that I wanted to chuck the game out the window. There were so many times that I had thought I had experienced the worst that it had to offer, only to be greeted by another room of pain and suffering beyond that I&#39;d yet seen. But then there were times when I really appreciated the difficulty; it was punishing and frustrating, but also a learning process which made me feel so accomplished when I finally did figure out how to beat a boss or traverse an area. It makes me think back to a simpler time. A time when games like Contra, Zelda, and Castlevania were considered milestones to be beaten. All were difficult, but all were still considered fun and are yet enjoyed to this day.</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Dark souls has minimal story which is mainly told through the sparse NPCs found across the landscape. I still don&#39;t know the whole picture, but from what I gathered: You play as a &quot;Chosen One&quot; undead who is supposed to defeat a king who was victorious in a war with some dragons long ago and light a fire to give the rest of humanity a hope against the overwhelming forces of evil which have slowly grown into the land. This lack of a story may be a turn-off to some who love to get engrossed in the lore of a game, but I&#39;d say that this plays to Dark Souls&#39; advantage. Like Metroid, or even Castlevania to some extent, a minimal story means that the player is just as clueless and alone as their virtual counter-part. It supports the overall theme of the game, loneliness and despair.</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The graphics are a mixed bag. Dark Souls looks decent enough for a late-gen Xbox 360 game, the environments and textures are detailed enough to showcase the kind of world you are in. You will always be seeing parts of the world off in the distance which you have already been to are will be getting to eventually.&nbsp; But there are some areas that are polar opposites in what you would hope to see. Places like Anor Londo and the Darkroot Garden which represent a truly epic sight and a looming atmosphere of dread at your next encounter. But then there are places like the swamp in Blighttown and the lake of lava in Lost Izalith which sport a murky and muddled view, which may be imposing to some but feels more of an annoyance on top of an already frustrating game. Overall, the graphics provide both spooky and awe-inspiring areas which you&#39;ll be always be afraid to traverse.</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Music, like story, is minimal and relegated to a few select moments. Often only heard during boss fights, these songs ca be hit or miss depending on which boss fight it is. I personally felt a disconnect from the music during the final battle, like I had missed something which warranted its tone. But the lack of music, like the small story, plays very much into the strength of the game. You don&#39;t want to hear music when you&#39;re listening for enemies sneaking up behind you, you don&#39;t want a rousing score playing over you&#39;re struggle for survival. No, this game respects the player&#39;s concentration as they plunge the bowels of despair.</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Dark Souls is a simple game to play, but a hard game to master. This is the mark of a good game because the outcome of each encounter is controlled directly by the player&#39;s decisions and actions. Players control exactly when they block with a shield or strike with a sword. They can use parrying to land critical blows or dodge around for massive back-stabs. But each action they take comes with a price. They are limited to what they can do in a certain amount of time by a stamina bar which depletes for each action they take. Swing the sword too many times and you won&#39;t have enough stamina left to absorb a blow with your shield. Enemies can be engaged in groups, but it is often better to lure them out to engage one-on-one. Bows and different kinds of magic can be applied for ranged situations so the player will have no shortage of ways to deal out death. But be warned: enemies quite often have your same abilities or equipment, so it is best to adapt to each situation as it arises if you don&#39;t want to see the &quot;You Died&quot; screen too many times. </p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Death plays a huge part into Dark Souls, one could say that it is the pillar around which the game is based. You will die playing this game, maybe not at first, but it will happen. Hidden traps, swarming enemies, or one of the multitude of ledges lacking safety rails will eventually claim your life. However, the game is not without mercy (that being said in the most dripping of sarcastic tones). Scattered across the land are bonfires which act as safe-points and places to level-up. Whenever the player dies, they are transported to the last bonfire they visited having lost whatever souls they had gathered thus far. Souls act as in-game currency which is reaped from fallen foes and spent on new equipment or levels. The souls of one&#39;s previous life are left where they died, but should one die before recovering them, these souls are lost forever.</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Boss battles are the highlight of this exercise in frustration. Each is bigger, faster, and stronger than the player. But each is limited to a certain move-set and patterns. It is up to the player to learn these and approach the situation as they see fit. Each boss is a learning process that may take many deaths to figure out how to finally conquer it. Unlike other RPGs where one could grind out some levels and fight the boss a stronger person, Dark Souls is not that easy. Most bosses, even for higher leveled characters, can kill them in one or two hits. In this case, knowledge is more powerful than brute force. Much like Castlevania, learning a boss&#39;s moves and when to strike is vital. Each boss is uniquely made and as new fun experience to find out. </p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Dark Souls is a game that is hardest the first time around. Once you know how to approach each area and enemy, it is not nearly as nerve-racking or frustrating. Players can play over again through the not-nearly-seen-enough-now-a-days feature of New Game+ or they can start over again with a different character class to find different ways of playing. Some might be turned off by the excessive difficulty, but the feeling of beating another boss or clearing another gloomy area will continue to bring others back time and time again.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2580709" width="1" height="1">Benny Shoreshttp://www.gameinformer.com/members/Benny-Shores/default.aspxBest Game of the Console Generation/games/dark_souls/b/user_reviews/archive/2013/01/17/best-game-of-the-console-generation.aspx2013-01-18T00:47:00Z2013-01-18T00:47:00Z<p>Dark souls is an action game with rpg-style progression and gear system. It&#39;s got engaging combat, a great atmosphere, and great replay value. Awesome multiplayer with both pve and pvp. Every gamer needs to play this game. It&#39;s not as hard as people say. Just grab the zweihander!</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2515729" width="1" height="1">nitrotohttp://www.gameinformer.com/members/nitroto/default.aspxDark souls is a must buy, and one of the best games ever./games/dark_souls/b/user_reviews/archive/2012/11/10/dark-souls-is-a-must-buy-and-one-of-the-best-games-ever.aspx2012-11-10T05:40:00Z2012-11-10T05:40:00Z<p>Saying dark souls is hard is an understatement, This game is nearly IMPOSSIBLE, But is that a bad thing? No.</p>
<p>Dark souls takes place in the wonderfull, yet doomed kingdom of lordran, where you start off in an undead asylum, of course as an undead. And as you make your way through you fight (and kill) a demon, which gives you your ticket out of there, as you make your way to the top of a small hill, you get a view of the whole kingdom. Then a bir comes along and swoops you away.</p>
<p>The difficulty in dark souls is honestly up there with contra and ninja gaiden, but it&#39;s also fun and time consuming too. It also gives you a sense of accomplishment after each kill, like for example there is a tough enemy ahead, no matter how much you try you cannot kill it, so you make up a new tactic and you finally kill it, then it makes you feel like the biggest badass the world has ever seen!</p>
<p>Now, the weapons and armor&nbsp;are varied and each have theit own pros and cons, like for example, wearing heavy armor will slow you down, but provide you with extra defense, but wearing light armor on the other hand makes you light as a feather, but gives you low defense, also strength puts in a big part on the weapons and armor too, like if your strength level is low and you equip a heavy weapon, your character will swing it around like a baby carrying a brick (not that iv&#39;e ever done that to a baby).</p>
<p>Now the graphics, are the best graphics in 2011! they are amazing, look at a picture of anor londo and tell me it&#39;s not amazing! You will go to many places, like deep dark forests, or an abandoned city. and they all give you a sense of impending doom! And the enemies also go with the scary envornments.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Anyway, dark souls is an amazing game,and it&#39;s well worth your time and money, i hope you enjoyed this review.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2367004" width="1" height="1">Bradio10http://www.gameinformer.com/members/Bradio10/default.aspxDustforce: Seems Clean to Me/games/dark_souls/b/user_reviews/archive/2012/10/19/dustforce-seems-clean-to-me.aspx2012-10-19T21:12:00Z2012-10-19T21:12:00Z<p>
</p>
<p>
Normal
0
false
false
false
EN-US
JA
X-NONE
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/0q2JS.jpg" style="max-width:610px;" border="0" alt="" /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:&#39;Times New Roman&#39;,&#39;serif&#39;;">When is
the last time you found yourself playing a game on your computer, rather than
on the console you brought from home? I&rsquo;m not referring to your in-browser
based websites games like Kongregate or God forbid, Facebook. I refer to the
unique experience of what are classified as Indie games (short for independent,
like in music). It is in these smaller games that you often get the most
creativity out of a developer because there is no higher company, holding the
purse strings, that restricts and compresses what you need to accomplish. Now
because there is no publisher associated with the product (example would be
Activision publishes <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal;">Call of Duty</i>)
there comes the risk of these smaller games going unnoticed, meaning the
inevitable extinction of the developer, which is something this review will
hopefully change. This is not me saying that all independent games are good,
high quality, or worth playing; however, some do rise above the rest and
deserve the small price tag of five to ten dollars. That is where <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal;">DustForce</i> comes in, as the first in the
series of indie games.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:&#39;Times New Roman&#39;,&#39;serif&#39;;"><span style="mso-tab-count:1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Truth be told, I do not have my
console with me on campus, a luxury I cannot afford. Only because of Steam
(virtual download software) can I ever get access to full AAA retail releases
like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal;">Call of Duty</i> (which I personally
would only play on Xbox) or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal;">Portal 2</i>,
but as a college student I am also aware that spending sixty dollars on a new
game once a month is a ludicrous notion, we have to buy food right? So it is
within the safe haven of Steam&rsquo;s support of indie developers that I am able to
enjoy games that not only cost less, but are often more enjoyable and create a
more enjoyable stand-alone experience than most games on the shelves at GameStop
(excluding AAA titles which are actually fun). So now the question is what is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal;">DustForce</i>?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:&#39;Times New Roman&#39;,&#39;serif&#39;;"><span style="mso-tab-count:1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Trying to find a good description
for what <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal;">DustForce </i>is to someone who
doesn&rsquo;t have the faintest idea of what I am talking about is difficult. If
after this review you are intrigued by the game I would suggest watching the
video gameplay on YouTube or under the purchase section on Steam, just so you
can get a better sense of what I&rsquo;m talking about. For those of you that had the
opportunity to play <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal;">Mirror&rsquo;s Edge</i> on
console release, I would say it is similar in nature because it focuses on park
our, but in a very stylized way. For those of you who can make this connection,
and even for those of you who cannot, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal;">DustForce</i>
is reminiscent of 2D plat-formers which means that yes, it is like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal;">Super Mario Bros.</i> and games of that
kind, but has taken its own hold on the genre. As a quick side note,
plat-formers have become one of the most elastic (creatively) genres in indie
game development because at the game mechanics core you are simply jumping,
albeit creative additions which <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal;">DustForce
</i>definitely has. So what makes this game different? Why is it called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal;">DustForce</i>? To put it in ways that makes
it sound as cool as I believe it to be, you play as a &ldquo;janitor&rdquo; with ninja like
athleticism, meaning wall jumping, wall running, and even a little bit of
ceiling crawling. However, the caveat is that this game does not progress for
those of you who do not have the skill, determination, and persistence to truly
learn and master what makes the game as fluid as the game-play video shows it
to be. In other terms, you unlock levels by getting a perfect score in the two
categories of Completion and Finesse (the perfect score meaning S rank). In
terms of actual game-play <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal;">DustForce </i>is
very similar to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal;">N+</i> which is now on
Xbox Live, but originally was a browser based game. Obtaining a perfect score
though, is done by cleaning up everything in a level, as well as keeping up
your combo meter throughout the entire level (which you lose when either hit by
an enemy or by taking too long to get to the next spot to clean). </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;"><span style="font-family:&#39;Times New Roman&#39;,&#39;serif&#39;;">So
much like other difficult plat-formers, the key is memorizing the level layout,
mastering the controls, and never giving up just because you cannot beat it the
thirtieth or fortieth try. The reward for a perfect completion is so high however;
that it is well worth the effort, making you forget about your previous
failures. This is not to say you won&rsquo;t have fun just playing the level even
with a bad score, because with the fluidity of the whole experience and the
shortness of each individual level, it is never a hassle to hit the retry
button at the end of each attempt. Each level is unique and fun in its own
right and with four different locations (each with their own themes) there is a
great variety that I personally never got tired of. Is the game difficult? Yes,
but not due to the poor mechanics, because the controls are in fact very tight
and responsive. This distinction is important between difficult games that are
good or bad, when you die is it your fault or the games? In the former it is
your fault and so I attribute <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal;">DustForce</i>
to this category.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;"><span style="font-family:&#39;Times New Roman&#39;,&#39;serif&#39;;">Beyond
the game-play, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal;">DustForce</i> is one of
the only games I can say I was attentively listening to the music while I was
playing. The art direction is, to me, very much like water color painting and
so not having to focus on too many specific details the music just naturally
takes over you during your experience. The character models (of which there are
four playable in single player) are all very well made and have their own
personal aesthetic attributes that give them some uniqueness. Each character
does have some slight distinctions in how they control (mostly in their
attacks) but none of them have any certain advantage over the others for any
level. Multi-player does exist however it is local only, but since this is
college it shouldn&rsquo;t be too hard finding someone to play with right? The two
modes are king of the hill and survival, which serve their purpose to play with
your friends, but are not the main reasons you should be playing the game. I
went into <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal;">DustForce</i> with no knowledge
about it, besides the fact it was an indie 2D plat-former, and I have come out
wholly satisfied. For only ten bucks disregard the difficulty and appreciate
the game for what it is, a brilliant take on a very old game formula.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2308335" width="1" height="1">bombstopperhttp://www.gameinformer.com/members/bombstopper/default.aspxDark Souls Review: I Did Die.../games/dark_souls/b/user_reviews/archive/2012/10/19/dark-souls-review-i-did-die.aspx2012-10-19T21:07:00Z2012-10-19T21:07:00Z<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/mUmXR.jpg" style="max-width:610px;" border="0" height="304" width="487" alt="" /></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;"><span style="font-family:&#39;Times New Roman&#39;,&#39;serif&#39;;">&ldquo;Prepare
to die&rdquo; a phrase not created by me, but by the marketing team from the
publisher, Namco Bandai. For the few readers on campus who may have played the
Playstation 3 Cult Classic <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal;">Demon&rsquo;s Souls</i>
(released as a PS3 exclusive back in 2009), Dark souls will be a very similar
adventure through the nightmarish fantasy land of Lordran created by head
director Hidetaka Miyazaki. Unlike <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal;">Demon&rsquo;s
Souls</i> however, everyone but PC owners can enjoy this spiritual successor as
it was released on both the Xbox 360 and PS3. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal;">Dark Souls,</i> like its previous successor, relies on the
determination of the player to get through each part of the world, and in doing
so does not comprise itself and the vision that the developers had for this
game. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;"><span style="font-family:&#39;Times New Roman&#39;,&#39;serif&#39;;">One
key difference between <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal;">Dark Souls</i> and
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal;">Demon&rsquo;s Souls</i> is that now the game is
a completely open world adventure, rather than the small broken world sections
that players were faced with in the latter game. To make this work checkpoints
(called Bonfires) are set up at key locations that are, if anything, few and
far between (almost too far in some instances later in the game). This set up
is much more fluid and helpful than separate world levels because it creates a
greater sense of atmosphere within the world of Lordran. The one major drawback
however is that it is never quite clear where one should head. With very little
guidance in terms of tutorials, item use or even item management, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal;">Dark Souls</i> does not provide a map, or
waypoint system like other games thus making the navigation just as difficult
as the combat system itself. Given the benefit of playing the game post-release
one is able to read player forums or search Youtube for help, but for those who
go into the game knowing nothing it is very easy to head in the wrong direction
right from the get-go, making it that much more frustrating for people with little
patience. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;"><span style="font-family:&#39;Times New Roman&#39;,&#39;serif&#39;;"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/Td2rt.jpg" style="max-width:610px;" border="0" height="221" width="442" alt="" /><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;"><span style="font-family:&#39;Times New Roman&#39;,&#39;serif&#39;;">Touching
on patience, if you find yourself to not be a patient individual then this game
is the exact opposite of one you would enjoy. Besides lack of navigation, the
combat system (which is very polished and rewarding) requires that the individual
first learn the location you&rsquo;re fighting in along with the enemies in that
area. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal;">Dark Souls</i> is a game in which
you will die a lot, and if that is something you won&rsquo;t be able to handle then
there really is no enjoyment value for you at all. However, in the many times I
had died (over roughly fifty hours of play time) there were very few instances
where I can say that I died unfairly and would blame the game design rather
than my own skill level. Given that the currency in the game as well as the means
for leveling up, there are plenty of reasons for one not to like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal;">Dark Souls</i>, but the fact of the matter
is that this game is so true and unyielding in its vision, that it is more like
a game (in the literal sense) than most other releases in the past few years.
There is a story (barely) which can be uncovered at one&rsquo;s own will, but nothing
is ever really forced upon the player in that department, aside from a few cut
scenes. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;"><span style="font-family:&#39;Times New Roman&#39;,&#39;serif&#39;;">The
multiplayer also is one that is highly unique from other multiplayer games. One
can summon players or be summoned by others, giving the chance for help against
a boss or to gain humanity (a big part of the game surrounding Bonfires and
strength). If one chooses to ignore that though, while online you will see the
ghosts of other players in the same area as well as notes left behind, either
to help or hinder the players progress. Occasionally blood stains will also be
found to show you how another player died, in the hopes it will prevent that
same death upon you. When encountering a summoning the only communication you
have with the other player is gestures, creating a somewhat more powerful bond
then those on Call of Duty yelling into their mics. To touch on humanity, the
idea is that while in human form you can kindle Bonfires (which increases how
many health potions you can hold) or summon other players; while on the
contrary if you are dead you can only be summoned and gain humanity if the
player you are helping defeats the area boss. One can also invade a world to
gain humanity by killing the host world&rsquo;s player, but in a game where one of
the strongest aspects is the community; this is mostly looked down upon.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:0.5in;text-align:left;"><span style="font-family:&#39;Times New Roman&#39;,&#39;serif&#39;;">With
many other aspects that could be dived into, such as covenants (groups to
join), upgrades, and the various characters you meet along the way, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal;">Dark Souls </i>is a game that is a complete
package. With no hint at DLC (until very recently) the developers made a game
that was intended to not require any addition upon shipment. If you are a
person who has perseverance (and I mean in reality, not just what you&rsquo;d like to
believe), then I highly recommend that you give this game a try. If you are on
the other spectrum I would still suggest trying the game to get a feel for it rather
than just write it off as a game trying to make a name for itself because of
how challenging it is. If this sounds interesting at all then give the game a
try.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2308293" width="1" height="1">bombstopperhttp://www.gameinformer.com/members/bombstopper/default.aspxUnbelievably Difficult but Amazingly Rewarding/games/dark_souls/b/user_reviews/archive/2012/09/18/unbelievably-difficult-but-amazingly-rewarding.aspx2012-09-18T22:14:00Z2012-09-18T22:14:00Z<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-size:small;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Demon Souls was an R.P.G. that defined the rewarding aspect in the difficulty of gaming.&nbsp; With every boss came a key to the next challenge lying behind that corridor.&nbsp; Every enemy gives you the resource you need to improve, souls.&nbsp; This idea is restated in Dark Souls, but it is also improved upon to the point where the punishing difficulty is actually more of a good thing.&nbsp; I&#39;ll say this before I go into the review: Anyone who ever considered buying this game but was intimidated by the difficulty should look past it <i>now</i>.</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-size:small;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Dark Souls isn&#39;t just a good R.P.G.&nbsp; It&#39;s a game that pulls you in and never lets go until that last demon is slain.&nbsp; It&#39;s a game that grips your mind and takes you on an epic ride through a world where death and horror lie behind every corner.&nbsp; Its a game where you aren&#39;t playing as some character.&nbsp; Instead, you <i>are </i>the character, thrown into a land of destruction by a prophecy (and a giant black bird).&nbsp; Because of just this, Dark Souls is my favorite R.P.G. of all time.</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-size:small;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; You start your journey in an undead asylum under a city, waiting for the little bits of flesh on your bones to rot and for you to be taken into insanity from the Curse, but when a dead body falls from a hatch in the ceiling, coincidentally holding the key to your cell.&nbsp; You decide that you&#39;re getting out.&nbsp; Within thirty minutes, you&#39;re thrust into a boss fight with your weapons and five Estus flasks (your potions).&nbsp; The game gives you basic instructions and a few small fights to warm up, but afterwards you&#39;re immediately thrown into a spiteful and bloody world.&nbsp; With little instructions as to any strategies, you have to find out on your own.&nbsp; I personally loved this way of &quot;forcing&quot; you to learn for yourself, but it means that the first couple of hours in the game will be the most difficult.</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-size:small;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Don&#39;t get me wrong, though: This game is <i>hard</i>.&nbsp; It is so astonishingly, unbelievably difficult that the only things that ever kept me playing were that there was always a reward at the end of that boss and that nearly every death is completely fair.&nbsp; Every time I struck down that huge boss, there was something coming from him, whether it be souls, a key, or some special weapon (Sometimes, it was all three).&nbsp; The feeling you get from slaying a demon is great, especially when you realize that <i>you </i>did it.&nbsp; You didn&#39;t cheat your way through it.&nbsp; It wasn&#39;t some fluke.&nbsp; <i>You </i>brought the death of a gigantic demon that will never come back.&nbsp; Every death you experienced before that was fair because of your mistakes.&nbsp; That&#39;s another thing that&#39;s so awesome about Dark Souls.&nbsp; It&#39;s simply difficult.&nbsp; There aren&#39;t hardly any technical glitches other than a somewhat finicky target lock.&nbsp; Whatever killed you did it fairly.</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-size:small;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The graphics are fantastic.&nbsp; Everything is detailed wonderfully.&nbsp; Normally, the frame rate is flawless unless there&#39;s a lot going on on the camera.&nbsp; The animation is especially great, with detailed and realistic movements.</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-size:small;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Technically, Dark Souls works amazingly.&nbsp; Strikes are <i>very </i>accurate, meaning that you usually won&#39;t just strike through a wall.&nbsp; Your sword will bounce off of it.&nbsp; With a good strike, you could hit two or three enemies at a time.&nbsp; Like I said, there are few glitches. &nbsp;</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-size:small;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The sound is great.&nbsp; Everything, from the scream of majestic dragons to the eerie grunt of the Undead, sounds fantastic.&nbsp; The only real orchestral music comes in boss fights, but it all sounds really good.</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-size:small;">&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Dark Souls is a game that will keep you up just thinking about it.&nbsp; It&#39;s a game that rips you from reality and drops you into its world.&nbsp; Everything about this game is just amazing.&nbsp; It&#39;ll last you a long time, especially with all the classes you can pick from (Oh, did I forget that?)&nbsp; The level of entertainment in this game, the scope, and the thought that was put into it are mind-blowing.&nbsp; Even after I&#39;ve stopped playing it for now, I still think about what will become of me next in the deadly world of Dark Souls. <br /></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><div style="clear:both;"></div><img src="http://www.gameinformer.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=2221323" width="1" height="1">warlord5531http://www.gameinformer.com/members/warlord5531/default.aspx